Refrigerator



oct. 11,1927. 1,644,910

, G. C. BOHN Filed oct. 2e, 1925 Patented Oct. 1l, 1927.

UNITED STATES f tenen GEBHABD C. BOI-IN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed October 26, 1923.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, being particularly designed for securing plates that are easily chipped, as porcelain or vitreous enameled, along the upper edges of a refrigerator and the vertical corners thereof.

An object of my invention is to provide a construction of the character designated, in which the outer sheathing is held in position without-'metal parts engaging with the eX- posed surface thereof to injure and mar the exterior surface of the same.

Other objects are to enable the plates being held in position under yielding pressure and without diierent plates coming in contact with each other, and to rmly secure the plates in position without the use of disfiguring and injuring metal parts.

To this end, my invention consists in the features of construction and combination hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of my invention: r

Figure l, is a perspective view of a refrigerator, constructed according to my invention,A with the doors removed and shown partly broken away and Ywith part of the fastening means removed.

Figure 2, is a detail view of one corner of a refrigerator, constructed according to my invention.

Figure 3, is a vertical section through the top of the refrigerator.

Figure 4, is a vertical section of a refrigerator, constructed according to my invention; and

Figure 5, is a vertical section taken through one of the upper edges.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a refrigerator body, ordinarily constructed of wood, and 2 porcelain plates forming an eX- terior covering or sheathing for the sides and top of the body.

In carrying out my invention, the connecting edges, between the top and the walls, and of the walls themselves, are cut away to form a right-angled groove 3. rI`he plates covering the top of the refrigerator and the walls thereof, are bent into the grooves 3 and secured to the frame work of the refrigerator within said grooves as by nails 4. The plates terminate short of the inner portion of the groove, as shown in Figure 5, to form a space between the edges of the adjacent plates. The plates, independent of the groovedA edges of the refrigerator, as under- Seral No. 671,042.

neath the bottom of the same, are secured to the frame work of the refrigerator in any desired manner. After the plates are secured in covering position to the refrigerator frame work, as above described, wooden quarter round strips 5 are fitted within the grooves 3 and retaining screws 6 inserted centrally through said strips and between the separated porcelain plates and into the frame work. i

A great many advantages are obtained by the employment of the above described features of' invention. The porcelain plates that I use in sheathing the refrigerator frame are very easily chipped in the process of fasteningsaid plates in place, resulting in the necessity of removing the plate and placing a new, unmarred one vin position. In forcing the securing means, as the nails 4, in my above described invention into retaining'position, any injury to the adjacent plate covering is entirely covered up by the retaining strips 5. The retaining screws 6, passing through the strips 5 and between the plates into the frame work, hold the edges of the plates tightly clamped within the grooves and, consequently, permit the use of comparatively small nails or brads 4 in the initial fastening operation of the plates, as-

sisting in permitting the plates being fastened with the minimum of danger to the coating. Furthermore, the strips 5, being of resilient material, as wood, form a cushioning fastening for the edges'of the plates, taking up the shock of blows that the corners of a refrigerator construction are most apt to receive, and further protecting the coating of the plates. The embedding of the cushioning retaining strips 5 in the grooves 8, constitute an additional safety over fasten-ing means projecting beyond the plane of the top and walls of the refrigerator.

A further essential function of my construction is the preventing of moisture penetrating the refrigerator construction between the plates, the cushioning strips 5 of relatively soft wood making a spring contact with the edges of the plates and an absolute moisture-proof joint.

In a refrigerator of the character described, where the framework is completely covered by the metal enameled plates, and the interior of the refrigerator ordinarily similarly lined, any moisture penetrating the refrigerator construction becomes absorbed by the built up framework and insu-` lation, and, being kept fromevaporation by the metal covering, brings about a swelling and ruining of the refrigeratorfY This probovercome entirely `by the vherein described construction.

I claim:

'1. In a refrigerator class described, formed with corner grooves, vitreous coated sheathing plates covering the Walls and top of said refrigerator, with their free edges turned into said grooves and the edges of adjacent plates spaced apart `within said grooves, resilient strips positioned in said grooves and `contacting with said plates, and fastening means extending through said strips and between the edges of said sheathing plates into the refrigerator framework.

2. A construct-ion of the character set forth, including a body portion formed with `grooves at each junction ofthe top and walls thereof, vitreous coated sheathing plates covering the top and walls of said body, the

edges of said plates being turned into said grooves, and lwooden strips positioned inl said grooves and held in resilient engagef ment with the underlying lnturned edges of ysaid sheets Vby means of fastening means passing through said strips and between the edges of j the underlying sheets into the framework of the body.

3. 'A construction of the character i set construction of the forth, including a body portion formed with angular grooves at each'junction of the top and walls thereof, coated sheathing plates `covering the top and walls of said body, the

edge of said plates being turned into said grooves and terminating short of the bottom of said grooves, relatively soft wooden strips positioned in said grooves, and fastening means extending through said strips andbetween the underlying edges of said sheets into the framework of thebody to hold said Vstrips in resilient contact with said plates.V

4. Ai construction ofthe character set forth, includinga body portionformed with angular grooves at each junction of the top and walls thereof, coated sheathing plates covering the top and walls of said body, the edge of said plates being turned into said grooves and terminating short of the bottom of said grooves, relatively soft woodenstrips positioned in said grooves, fastening` means extending through said strips and between the underlying edges of said sheets into the framework of the body to hold said strips in resilient contact with said plates, and means extending through the edges of said plates into said body. y

5. A device of the character described having a wall structure that will absorb water and` is expansiblfe thereby and con tractable lwhen dried, said structure having a reentrant angularportion at a corner of the wall, a moisture-proof covering forthe wall with its edges bent into said angle and a strip fitting into said angle with means to firmly hold it against the turned down edges of said moisture-proof covering` to preventmoisture from reaching the moisture. absorbing wall structure. i

, ln testimony whereof I afx my signature.

VGERHARD C. BOHN. 

